Syria: thousands defy state terror, solidarize with Kurdish minority

Thousands took to the streets in towns and cities across Syria for Friday protests May 20, and security forces again responded with tear gas and live ammunition, leaving at least 32 people dead. The killings were reported in the southern region of Deraa, the Damascus suburb of Daraya, the seaport of Latakia, the central city of Homs, and a village near the north-central town of Idlib (see map). Among the dead in Homs were two boys, aged 16 and 11. Protesters in many places shouted "azadi," which means freedom in Kurdish. Organizers had dubbed the 20th as Azadi Day, in solidarity with Kurdish protesters and to reflect the failure of policies aimed at getting Kurdish Syrians on the government's side with promises of recognizing their civil rights. (DPA, AlJazeera, May 20)

Syrian security forces opened fire on a funeral procession for slain protesters May 21, killing five people and pushing the death toll in the two-month uprising to more than 900. Syria's death toll is second only to Libya's, where battles between Qaddafi's forces and his opponents have left possibly thousands dead since February. (AP, May 22)